Endless spiral conveyer



. J. O. BAILEY ENDLESS SPIRAL CONVEYER Filed April 26, 192'?" PatentedSept. 11, 1928.

JOSEPH OSWELL BAILEY, OF ATLAIITA, GEORGIA.

ENDLESS SPIRAL CONVEYER.

Application filed April 26, 1627. Serial No. 186,791.

Generically this invention relates to con- I veyers, but it moreespecially comprehends the type known as endless spiral or screw aironveyers.

.6 One important object of this invention is the provision of a coldrolled, cold drawn, continuous helicoid flight spiral steel con.- veyer,formed with a thickened reenforcement or bead on its outer edge.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a continuous colddrawnsteel elicoid conveyer having its outer edge terminating in athickened portion or bead to resistwean-and its inner or supporting ledge thickened to strengthen the flight, said flight being reversiblymounted on its 'supporting haft. I v A further important object of thisinvention is the provision of an endless cold rolled 2ov steel spiralconveyer constructed from one piece-having its outer edge terminatingin.

a thickened reenforcement or head, said conveyer adapted to be driven inopposite directions, and reversible according to wear on its operatingface, as desired.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent as thedescri tion proceeds, the invention resides in e construction,combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully describedand claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which likecharacters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalfigures, of which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a longitudinal section of my conveyerand supporting shaft; and

igures 2, 3, 4,

5, and 6, are vertical sections of the spiral flight showing modifica-4b tions illustrating'beads of diflerent types and configurations.

I am aware that there are various types. of endless conveyers some ofwhich employ riveted sections; others formed by rolling the metal whilein a heated condition to form the spiral; others having a thin outeredge quickly susceptible to wear; and to overcome which objections stillothers present laminated outer edges which likewise to becomeseparatedand distorted in usage;

and it was to overcome the inherent deficiencies of all such types withwhich I am familiar that I evolved the endless steel spiral conveyercold drawn, thereb preserving the qualities of the metal an forming ineffect a slight case hardening of the surconiorm to a variety of confiface in the process of forming, presenting noriveted heads or otherperturbances to be I subjected .to undue wear, formed with a bead orthickened portion on its outer edge to not only be wear resistant but tostrengthen the flight, said flight tapering from its periphery adjacentthe bead toward its axis to form a thickened axial inner edge tostrengthen the conveyer, so that the-same will withstand heavy. loadstresses and present a balanced spiral capable of being run in eitherdirection or of being re'versed, that I designed the oontinuous'steelspiral conveyer forming the subject matter of this invention. 7

In the illustrated embodiment characterizing this inventionthereisshowna solid or tubular shift 5 having a helcoid disposed conveyer or b ademember 6 securely mounted thereon. The helicoid or conveyer blade 6 isformed with a peripherical head or thickened portion 7 on its outeredge, said blade being comparatively. thin adjacent the 1nner edge ofthebead and tapering outso wardly to form a thickened inner or axialedge 8 and being inverted wedge shaped in cross section.

It is to be understood that the bead 7 mayrations depending. uponv theusage of, t e particular conveyor, as will hereinafter more fullyappear. It is at once evident that a helicoid conveyer bladesubstantially inverted wedge shaped in cross section and terminating inso an integral bead as above described presents an evenly balancedconveyor flight susceptible of withstanding heavy load'stresses, thebead not only strengthenin the flight and presentinga reenfo'rced surace at the point of greatest wear, but in motion also tend- 4 ing toefiect movement of the material being propelled by said member radiallyfrom its peri hery in the direction of its axis and the inclined faceotthe thickened inner edge tending'.to effect movement of the materialradially away from its axis, which movements tend to prevent unduestrain on the conveyer blade, by preventing jamming at some 1particularpoint, thereby aiding the propu sion of the material in conveyingdirection and lessening frictional wear on the operating surfaces of theblade.

Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, illustrate conveyer blades 6, 6", 6, 6 and 6,conforming exact- 1y to the blade6 above described except presentingmodified forms of heads 7, 7, 7, 7,

and 7', respectively.- 6 represents a left hand conveyer and 6'a righthand conveyer.

In some types of conveyers it is advantageousto have the bead formedonly-on one side as 6 and 6, and also it is sometimes easier 'to formthe conveyer by having the'metal to figuration of bead formed in themanner above described comes within the scope of my invention.

From the above it vwill be apparent that I have designed an endlessspiral or'helicoid conveyer formed cold from a. steel bar so constructedasito withstand heavg' load stresses and to expeditiously convey eavy orlight materials with a minimum of frictional wear on the conveyer,requiring a minimum of power, presenting reversible wearing surfaces,manufacturable at a minimum of cost and eflicient for the purposesintended.

Although in practice I have found that the form of my inventionillustrated in the accompanying-drawings and referred to in the abovedescription, as the preferred embodiment,-is the most eflicient andpractical;

yet realizing the conditions concurrent with the adoption of myinvention will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize that varlousminor changes in detalls of construction,

an endless s iral blade member helically mounted on t e shaft, and abead formed on shaft,

2. An endless conveyer comprising a shaft,

the outermost edge of the blade, said blade radiallyincreasing inthickness from the bead to its inner edge.

3.,An endless conveyercomprising a shaft, 0. cold rolled continuousspiral blade member helically mounted on the shaft formed-with athickened inner edge, and havin its outer edge terminating in a bead,said senting a working surface on either side thereof.

' 4. An endless conveyer comprising a shaft, a cold formed endlessspiral'blade member helically arranged about the shaft, and having itsinner edge thickened and a bead integrally formed on its outer edgeprojecting equi-distant on each side of the blade, said blade beingreversible on said sha'ft.

JOSEPH os'WELL BAILEY.

blade pre-

